Research and analysis team at CORRIB Core Lab puts University at the cutting edge of cardiovascular diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease A new approach to the guidance, planning and conducting of heart bypass surgery is being tested on patients for the first time in a clinical trial coordinated by a high-level research team at NUI Galway. The FAST TRACK CABG study, overseen by the University’s CORRIB Research Centre for Advanced Imaging and Core Lab, will see surgeons plan and carry out coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), based solely on non-invasive CT images of the patient’s coronary arteries.  Trial chairman Professor Patrick W Serruys, Established Professor of Interventional Medicine and Innovation at NUI Galway, said: “The results of this trial have the potential to simplify the treatment for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. “The trial and the central role played by the CORRIB Core Lab puts NUI Galway on the frontline of cardiovascular diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease.” The trial is “first in man” as it demonstrates a way to perform medicine which has never been done before. It is being conducted across Europe on 114 patients who have severe blockages in multiple vessels which are limiting blood flow to the heart muscle. The first patient underwent surgery at the end of September under Professor Giulio Pompilio in Centro Cardiologico Monzino, Italy. A 30-day follow-up CT, performed by Professor Daniele Andreini, confirmed the success and appropriateness of the surgical treatment.  Current convention in cardiovascular diagnosis and treatment sees heart patients undergo catheterisation procedure where an artery in the wrist or groin is punctured and a catheter is fed to the heart. Dye is then directly injected into the coronary artery to visualise blockages or narrowing of vessels using X-rays. During the FAST TRACK trial, analysis of high-resolution cardiovascular imagery and data, obtained with modern high-resolution CT (Revolution CT, GE Healthcare), is carried out by the CORRIB Core Lab team. The location and severity of coronary artery blockages are assessed using CT scans after dye is put in a vein of the arm, without the need for invasive catheterisation. These images allow a functional assessment of blood flow impairment known as Fractional Flow Reserve derived from CT (FFRct, HeartFlow).  Deputy chairman of the trial Yoshi Onuma, Professor of Interventional Cardiology and medical director of CORRIB Research Centre, described it as a potential gamechanger for cardiac surgery. “Researching the possibility of reducing diagnostic catheterization procedures is important for several reasons. Catheterization is invasive and it is unpleasant for the patient. It is also costly for the health service and while there is a minimal risk with the procedure it is not completely risk free,” Professor Onuma said.  “CT scan analysis, FFRct and guidance from the team in Galway is a world first in bypass surgery. It may become a gamechanger, altering the traditional relationship between GP, radiologist, cardiologist and cardio-thoracic surgeon for the benefit of the patient.” Professor Tim O’Brien, Dean of NUI Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and consultant endocrinologist at University Hospital Galway, said: “The potential impact of this trial will be significant from the perspective of a patient, but also service delivery.  The combined benefits arising from a risk reduction to the patient and a less demanding and more cost-effective diagnosis of coronary artery disease present major enhancements in cardiovascular medicine and service delivery.” The trial is co-chaired by Professor Serruys and Professor William Wijns, Science Foundation Ireland Professor of Interventional Cardiology at NUI Galway, both of whom are internationally renowned experts in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular disease. The surgery is being carried out in three of Europe’s leading cardiac care hospitals - Centro Cardiologico Monzino near Milan, University hospital Brussels (UZB) and University hospital Jena, Germany. Professor Serruys added: “If a surgeon can operate on the most complex cases of coronary artery disease with the sole guidance of a non-invasive CT scan and FFRct, it will mean a dramatic change in health care. Following the example of the surgeon, the interventional cardiologist should also not hesitate to skip the conventional invasive cineangiography, and plan their procedure based solely on a CT scan. That will unload the purely diagnostic workload of the cath lab as we know it today and enable them to upgrade the catheterization laboratory to a dedicated ‘interventional suite’, thereby improving the workflow of patients.” The trial is sponsored by NUI Galway and funded by GE Healthcare (Chicago, USA) and HeartFlow, Inc. (Redwood City, California, USA). Ends

Tá sé fógartha ag OÉ Gaillimh go bhfuil an tOllamh Rebecca Braun ceaptha mar Dhéan Feidhmiúcháin nua Choláiste na nDán, na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta agus an Léinn Cheiltigh, agus go bhfuil an tOllamh Geraint Howells ceaptha mar Dhéan Feidhmiúcháin nua Choláiste an Ghnó, an Bheartais Phoiblí agus an Dlí.  Tosóidh na hOllúna Braun agus Howells ina róil nua i mí Eanáir 2021. Dúirt Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an tOllamh Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh: “Tá áthas orm fáilte a chur roimh na hOllúna Braun agus Howells chuig OÉ Gaillimh. Tá fairsinge mhór taithí ag an mbeirt acu agus táim ag súil le bheith ag obair le Rebecca agus le Geraint chun an dúshraith láidir choláisteach i gColáiste na nDán, na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta agus an Léinn Cheiltigh agus i gColáiste an Ghnó, an Bheartais Phoiblí agus an Dlí a threisiú agus a fhorbairt, mar aon lenár luachanna measa, barr feabhais, oscailteachta agus inbhuanaitheacht a réadú ar mhaithe le leas an phobail agus tuilleadh forbartha a dhéanamh ar chláir nua thaighde agus theagaisc.”  Tagann an tOllamh Rebecca Braun go OÉ Gaillimh ó Ollscoil Lancaster, áit a bhfuil sí ina hOllamh le Nuatheangacha agus le hIonchais Chruthaitheacha faoi láthair, agus ina comhstiúrthóir ar an Institiúid ildisciplíneach d’Ionchais Shóisialta. Tógadh Rebecca i gCorcaigh agus i dTiobraid Árann agus chuaigh sí go hOllscoil Oxford ina dhiaidh sin, áit a ndearna sí Fraincis agus Gearmáinis in St. Edmund Hall. Bhronn Comhairle Taighde na nDán agus na nDaonnachtaí (AHRC) Comhaltacht Cheannaireachta (Luathghairm) uirthi, bronnadh Comhaltacht Luathghairme Leverhulme ó Ollscoil Learpholl uirthi,  mar aon le Scoláireacht Eorpach Scatcherd ó Ollscoil Oxford agus Comhaltacht Taighde Alexander von Humboldt chun tréimhse oibre a chaitheamh i mBeirlín.  Is iomaí foilseachán atá aici i réimse litríocht na Gearmáine/litríocht an domhain in ionaid chlúiteacha idirnáisiúnta, tá sí ar dhuine de phríomh-eagarthóirí German Life & Letters agus oibríonn sí go rialta le comhpháirtithe rialtais agus leis an earnáil chruthaitheach. Dúirt an tOllamh Braun: “Is mór an onóir dom a bheith ag teacht chuig OÉ Gaillimh mar Dhéan Feidhmiúcháin Choláiste na nDán, na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta agus an Léinn Cheiltigh. Tá flúirse smaointeoireachta agus saineolais i réimse leathan disciplíní sa Choláiste. Táim ag súil go mór le hoibriú le gach duine sa Choláiste chun an obair sin a threisiú, deis a thabhairt do ghlórtha nua agus chun ár bpobail a mhéadú san ollscoil, sa réigiún agus sa domhan mór.” Is Ollamh le Dlí Tráchtála in Ollscoil Mhanchain an tOllamh Geraint Howells faoi láthair agus Déan Comhlach sna Daonnachtaí don Idirnáisiúnú.  Tá taithí fhairsing ceannaireachta aige agus d’éirigh go han-mhaith leis mar Dhéan Dlí in Ollscoil Chathair Hong Cong agus mar Cheann Scoil an Dlí i Manchain agus, roimhe sin, in Lancaster. Glaodh chun an bharra in 2002 é trí leas a bhaint as modh sainiúil d’acadóirí clúiteacha, agus bronnadh LLD air in 2014. Tá go leor foilsithe aige faoi dhlíthe tomhaltais, dliteanas táirgí agus dlí príobháideach na hEorpa agus bhí sé ina bhall den ghrúpa Acquis a d’fhéach le prionsabail choiteanna dlí conarthaí agus dlí torta a fhorbairt. Is iarUachtarán Chumann Idirnáisiúnta Dlíthe Tomhaltais é, chaith sé tréimhse de bhlianta ina eagarthóir ar an Consumer Law Journal, tá sé ar bhord eagarthóireachta an Journal of Consumer Policy agus is Eagarthóir Sraithe é don tsraith Markets and Law de chuid Routledge. Tá go leor oibre comhairleoireachta déanta aige do rialtais, don AE agus d’eagraíochtaí neamhrialtasacha. Agus é ag trácht ar a cheapachán nua, dúirt an tOllamh Howells: “Ardú meanman dom a chroíúil is a bhí an fháilte a chuir pobal OÉ Gaillimh romham. Bhí mé meallta ag ár láidreachtaí i nGnó, Beartas Poiblí agus Dlí a fhágann go bhfuil sé ar ár gcumas taighde idirdhisciplíneach ar na mórdhúshláin atá romhainn mar shochaí a chur chun cinn i gcomhpháirt le hinstitiúidí taighde idirnáisiúnta mór le rá eile. Cuireann an bonn taighde sin le cláir theagaisc nuálaíocha agus ábhartha a chabhraíonn le pobal éagsúil mac léinn a mhealladh. Tá súil agam go mbeimid in ann leanúint leis an tseirbhís a chuirimid ar fáil dár bpobal áitiúil agus ag an am céanna cinntiú gur feasach don phobal domhanda a fheabhas is atáimid.” -Críoch-

NUI Galway has announced the appointment of Professor Rebecca Braun as new Executive Dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, and Professor Geraint Howells as Executive Dean of the College of Business, Public Policy and Law. Professors Braun and Howells will begin their new roles in January 2021. NUI Galway President, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “I am delighted to welcome Professors Braun and Howells to NUI Galway. Both bring a great breadth of experience and I look forward to working with Rebecca and Geraint to strengthen and build on the strong, collegial foundations in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies and the College of Business, Public Policy and Law, to living our values of respect, excellence, openness and sustainability for the public good, and to further developing new programmes of research and teaching.”  Professor Rebecca Braun will join NUI Galway from Lancaster University where she is currently Professor of Modern Languages and Creative Futures, and where she co-directs the multi-disciplinary Institute for Social Futures. Rebecca grew up in Cork and Tipperary before studying French and German at St. Edmund Hall, the University of Oxford. Having been awarded an Arts and Humanities Research Council Leadership Fellowship (Early Career), a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at the University of Liverpool, a Scatcherd European Scholarship from the University of Oxford and an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship to work in Berlin, she has published widely in the area of German literature/world literature in leading international venues, is one of the lead editors of German Life & Letters, and routinely works with partners in government and the creative sector. Professor Braun said: “I am honoured to be joining NUI Galway as the Executive Dean of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies. The College has a fantastic wealth of ideas and expertise across an enviable range of disciplines. I am really looking forward to working with all College members to amplify this work, bring in new voices, and grow our audiences across the university, region and wider world.” Professor Geraint Howells is currently Professor of Commercial Law and Associate Dean in Humanities for Internationalisation at Manchester University. He has extensive leadership experience having served very successfully as Dean of Law at the City University of Hong Kong and Head of the Law School in Manchester, and, previously, in Lancaster. He was called to the bar in 2002 through a special route for distinguished academics and was awarded an LLD in 2014. He has published extensively on consumer law, product liability and European private law and was a member of the Acquis group developing common principles of European contract law and tort law. A former President of the International Association of Consumer Law, he edited the Consumer Law Journal for many years, is on the editorial board of the Journal of Consumer Policy and is Series Editor for Routledge’s Markets and Law series. He has undertaken extensive consultancy for government, the EU and NGOs. Commenting on the new appointment, Professor Howells said: “I have been heartened by the warmth of the welcome extended to me by the NUI Galway community. I was attracted by our strengths in Business, Public Policy and Law that make us well placed to promote inter-disciplinary research into the great challenges facing our society alongside other leading international research institutions. This research base feeds into innovative and topical teaching programmes that attract a diverse student population. I hope we can continue to serve our local community, whilst ensuring our excellence is available to the global community.” -Ends-